Planning
by Rhylin Sweet
Summary: Some people can't handle it. Gaara doesn't have time to think about flowers or places or speeches...not when...Lee... GaaLee It's not really denial.


Ah…I'm listening to Tsuki No Curse. The opening to Loveless. The best Yaoi I've ever seen since Fake. Hm.. It's a good song. It makes me happy and sad at the same time…

**Planning**

Only Temari was brave enough to ask him what kind flowers Gaara had wanted. The blonde tried not to shake as she saw her youngest brother tremble slightly.

"I'm busy"

"Ok…"

And she left, resolving to use lilies. She'd ask Shikamaru's teammate, Ino, about them.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Gaara shifted his paperwork and signed his name in the appropriate places, trying not to think about flowers.

The door opened and Naruto slipped through.

"Gaara, um…we still haven't decided which village we are going to-"

CRASH!

Naruto tried to calm his pounding heart. The door beside him was suspended a few inches above the ground, completely off his hinges by the sand.

"I think I should leave"

Gaara, his voice hoarse replied "Yes, I think you should"

Trying to walk calmly, Naruto mentally chose Suna. Gaara needed him near.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Kankuro ventured into the bathroom, where his brother was currently bathing. The curtain was pulled around the tub and steam was everywhere. Kankuro hated steam, it made his paint run.

The silhouette behind the pale blue curtain stopped and stood as if facing him, but Kankuro knew that Gaara had his back to him. Just a feeling.

"You can't keep avoiding this forever. Everyone has made decisions for you. Now, I want to know if you want to speak at the – Ga-Gaara!"

Sand had a hold of the puppeteer's body and was forcing him out of the doorway. "Gaara!"

The silhouette began to bathe and the door closed.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"Mimi!"

"Izumi!"

The two jounin hugged and Izumi placed a kiss on her lover's forehead. In the middle of a smile, Mimi felt a cold chill run down her spine and turned to see the Gaara walking past them.

His gaze flickered to them briefly, his eyes flashed and his step seemed to quicken.

Watching him walk to the end of the hall Mimi whispered "Whoa, did I miss something?"

Izumi's happy face melted into one of sadness and exhaustion. "Times have been hard on us all." Mimi smiled and kissed Izumi's cheek. "He just needs to cheer up! Where is Lee-sama?"

Izumi let out a sigh and felt her eyes burn. "Lee-sama is no longer with us. He was killed, shortly after you left for your mission" Mimi's eyes filled with tears. "Oh no…Poor Kazekage-sama! Lee-sama was such a nice guy."

Izumi held her tight and whispered small comforts in her ear. Mimi looked up at her lover. "I was gone for almost six months. I guess that means I missed the service…"

Izumi started to fidget. "Actually, the funeral hasn't happened yet. Kazekage-sama won't decide on a date, a place, flowers, arrangements. Nothing. He keeps pushing it off. As if it isn't hard enough on us all, he's denying Lee-sama's death"

Mimi started to tug on her hair and will her tears away.

"Not really."

Around the corner Gaara leaned against the wall and tried to keep the emotions inside him under control.

"It's not really denial"

The sand snaked around his arms and he felt a deep, almost unbearable pain in his chest.

"It's bad enough to have someone you love die"

He clutched the cloth over his chest and slipped to the floor, breathing hard.

"But to plan their funeral as well? So soon after they've died?"

Gaara put a hand to his face and uttered a name that would never get a reply.

"Some people can't handle it. Planning a funeral for someone you love has gotta be the worst feeling in the world"

**End**

The last line. My mom was saying it to me when a distant relative of mine had died and it was a few months before his funeral. I had asked y wait so long, it was almost a whole yr. she said

"Some people can't handle it. Planning a funeral for someone you love has gotta be the worst feeling in the world"

And when you thinka bout it. Ur right. It's gotta be. I know I'D feel bad…


End file.
